Eurasian eagle owl missing from Central Park Zoo spotted in Central Park tree

By WCBS Staff

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — An owl that went missing from the Central Park Zoo is now on the loose in Manhattan.

The zoo said the Eurasian eagle owl was reported missing from its exhibit at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The exhibit appeared to be vandalized and the stainless steel mesh was cut.

The owl was later spotted on the sidewalk along Fifth Avenue, but flew off. It was located Friday morning in Central Park, where officials are now trying to recover the bird.

Zoo officials say they continue to have eyes on the owl near a pond in the park, not far from the Plaza Hotel.

CBS2’s Leah Mishkin spotted it way up on a tree in the distance. Some people she spoke with said they were glad the bird is now in the open, but others feared for its safety.

“It is a bit strange the bird stayed local, sad,” said Joe Wyatt, visiting from the U.K.

The zoo says it’s doing everything to make a safe recovery.

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